FAA’s Implementation of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 Remains Incomplete

The Inspector General testified on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) progress in implementing key provisions of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. The Inspector General stated that while FAA has made progress implementing provisions of the act, significant actions are needed to meet the act’s intent and improve the execution and management of its programs. First, the Inspector General noted that FAA has yet to meet provisions intended to expedite a key element of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) program—the core for shifting from today’s ground-based radar to the Next Generation Air Traffic System’s (NextGen) satellite-based systems. He also pointed to other underlying programmatic and organizational challenges that we have previously reported continue to impact FAA’s ability to deliver NextGen capabilities as originally planned. Second, the Inspector General noted FAA has determined that it will not meet the act’s September 2015 deadline for integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the Nation’s airspace due to a series of complex technological, regulatory, and managerial barriers. Finally, the Inspector General stated that FAA has not effectively maximized use of key segments of its aviation safety inspector workforce or developed metrics to determine whether its new air traffic controller scheduling policies will reduce controller fatigue.